Reincarnated
by ElphabatheDelirious17
Summary: Elphaba comes back as Liir's daughter, but she doesn't remember who she was before she melted. When she finds out, she seeks revenge. Bookmusical. Fiyeraba.
1. Losing Control

**A/N: This is an exceedingly random thing I thought of. Who knew I could be so creative? By the way, _people_, you better review, because if my self-esteem goes any lower I think I'll spontaneously melt! Random, but it was the only thing I could think of. I couldn't say combust, because that happens when you get too high a self-esteem. How do I know this? Maybe I watched someone's head combust while they were being cocky. And now I realize this is too random and pointless for my taste.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked, though I really wish I did. But I know the truth. I never will! sob**

I was defeated by a wretched little farm girl. Or that's what everyone else thought.

Liir held me in his arms, looking at me as if I was dead. Perhaps he thought I was, because I was frozen in shock.

He named me Fabala, and nicknamed me Fae. And then I got a weird sense of deja vu.

Eventually, I got old enough to speak. I was about one when I learned to speak, but three when I showed I could. Liir was ecstatic, because he had thought something was wrong with me; I didn't speak a word until then. He cuddled me, and, reluctantly, I didn't protest.

Now I'm a pugnacious ten-year-old, going to school. Of course, everyone was appalled because of my green skin. They thought that no one else had it. Well, they didn't know that technically, I was the same person. But I wouldn't tell them that; if I did, they would probably come to my door and one o'clock in the morning with flaming torches and pitchforks.

So I had to face what I had faced through my other childhood, and it was just as bad. Perhaps worse, because people feared me, as I was a reminder of the 'Wicked Witch of the West' whose death their parents had celebrated only a few decades ago.

Today, as I was in the cafeteria at our school, the whispered gossip and taunting drifting through the air, someone pushed me hard, and knocked over a glass of water that was on a table. I hadn't noticed it; if I had, I'd would never have went near it. But it spilled, and I slipped on it and skidded and fell. Luckily, only my knuckles went in contact with it, and even though that meant they'd be blistered for a few hours, I felt fortunate that I didn't melt.

But I was livid. The evil child who had pushed me stared at me in horror, and it took me a few moments to realize that my hands were balled up into small green fists. The air was crackling around me, filled with static. Small sparks flew from my hands, and I felt a wonderful, powerful energy surge through me. That lovely energy burst out of my hands and made its way towards the panic-stricken boy who was flung backwards, into the opposite wall, making a very noticeable dent. My eyes widened, and I realized the enormity of what I had done. I felt my strength leave me, leaving me vulnerable and weak. The room began to spin. And then I fainted right on the floor, with over a hundred eyes watching the show.

I woke up at home with Liir standing over me, looking worried and angry.

"Fabala, how could you lose control like that?" He asked, as I sat there yawning tiredly, attempting to figure out what had happened. Finallly it came to me, how I had lost control. Wait. I didn't even know I _had_ control!

"Father, what do you mean, lose control? I never _had_ any control! I never knew I could . . .could _hurt_ people like that!" My voice cracked on the word voice, and as I started bawling, my own salty tears burning my cheeks as if red hot coals were being pressed to my emerald green cheeks. He was shocked at my sudden tantrum and hugged me, muttering things I couldn't hear. After a while of me and him sitting like that, my sobs died down and he unglued himself from my trembling body. I looked like I was having a minor seizure.

"I'll have you home-schooled; we can't risk this happening again." He said serenely, and I nodded, trying to get myself back together. As he exited my room, I hopped off my bed and ambled over to the black-lined mirror I had hanging on the opposite wall. My cheeks were red, and there were bright red lines on my face where the tears had been. It looked as if I had cried blood. I retrieved a towel from my dresser and furiously wiped at my cheeks. Some of the red and the salty tears came off, but I still looked as if I had smeared my own face in my own blood. It would stay like that for a couple of hours. I'm lucky I'm going to be home-schooled.

I wandered back to my bed and laid my head on my dark blue pillow, hoping I would never 'lose control' ever again. That is, if I ever found out what exactly I had control of.


	2. Deceived

**A/N:Mwahahaha, I'm back with the second chapter! I can't believe I wrote this much. A line in there is directly taken from the book, so extra cookies to the person who spots it! Also, I've taken the part where. . . well, you'll just have to read and see. (Cackle) (cough).**

**Disclaimer: 'Tis not mine, old chaps. **

Today was my first day at University. It was strange, because it was the first day I'd been to a real school since fifth grade. And I was almost completely late. When I arrived, there were only three girls left. A couple of chattering girls in the corner, both with mousy-brown hair, and another girl who I found out was blonde in so many ways. She was demanding a private dorm all for herself when the Headmistress--Lupid was her name, and I immediately noticed that it rhymed with 'stupid'--saw me. She addressed the girl as Celina, saying that she would be my roommate, to her shock. I reluctantly ambled over to our dormitory and swung open the door. Celina was already in it, unpacking her things. She didn't even look at me, and I realized I found nothing wrong with that. My vertigris was annoyingly ubiquitous, so it was obvious that she had seen it. Even if she had thought it was a trick of the light as so many others had, she'd evidently seen it later. Sooner or later, it's visible. And it's always sooner.

Sighing, I walked in and began unpacking. There was not much to unpack, mostly books, clothes, and supplies to school. I refused to wear pretty things for some reason. They irked me. When I finished the tedious task of emptying my trunks, I lay back on my bed and looked at the ceiling. Celina was still unpacking, as she had dozens of trunks and bags, most of them filled with unnecessary things such as high-heeled shoes and hats. I stared at my combat boots and was suddenly glad that I didn't have a whole cartload of clothes. I simply didn't need them. They were simply things to distract girls such as Celina over there, giddily folding her collection of skirts, from everyday things like reality. I knew a couple of girls like that, and they had both had the delusion that eventually, they would possess every worthy piece of clothing in the world. But I didn't say anything to Celina; it was evident that she'd just huff at me and turn on her heel to face the opposite wall, her arms folded and her lips pouting. I know this from experience.

I fell asleep, but I didn't dream. I never dream. I woke up to Celina's elegant, pink alarm clock eagerly piercing my eardrums. I bolted up and flung open my dresser, when I realized I was fully clothed; I had fallen asleep without getting into my 'pajamas', if you could even call them that. I retrieved my owlish glasses from my pocket and jammed them on as Celina stirred. She was finally up. I wondered why she even needed an alarm clock, if it didn't wake her up. At least it served a purpose for me. I grabbed my book bag and slung it over my shoulder. As I closed the door behind me, I could hear Celina yawn, and I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes to the ceiling.

I arrived at my class, History, right on time, when everyone else was arriving. A man named Dr. Tidallon stood up front. As I carefully seated myself in a chair somewhere in the middle, I felt someone else sit down beside me: Celina. How'd she get ready so incredibly quickly? And most importantly, why was she seating beside me? She had made it crystal clear that she loathed me. When she turned around and saw me, a look of digust and horror flashed across her face, and it dawned on me. She hadn't known I was there. Why else would she sit there?

Deciding it was best to ignore her and not make a fool of myself by trying to speak with her and being rejected, I turned back to the front. Dr. Tidallon was ranting on about something, and I tried to focus. It was a rather interesting class, much more interesting, I presumed, than the Magic class Celina was taking. I am not apt for magic at all.

The day was over soon. I ambled into the courtyard when a sight not seen daily met my eyes. A boy my age was sitting by the fountain, showing off for Celina. Our eyes met for a moment, and as a look of wonder appeared in his, I looked away. I couldn't stand getting close to someone if the same thing happened to them that happened seven years ago to that boy. _I couldn't lose control. _I looked down and trudged to my door, my feet making hard bangs on the ground and then floor. When I reached it, I plopped down on my bed and dug a book from under my pillow. Jackknifing myself to myself--as it was extremely uncomfortable to curl up--I opened the book and saw it was about good and evil, and the difference between them. As I was finally getting to an interesting part, Celina entered with a flourish. After the dramatic raising of a thin eyebrow, she asked,

"Gee, you look comfortable." Those were the first words she had spoken to me. I had been reading all day. On breaks, at least. And I wasn't about to tear my eyes away from my precious book because of a twit who didn't find me worthy of her time, and had chosen now of all times to be the least bit kind.

"Looks are only looks." I replied, not looking away from my treasure. She sighed exasperatedly, her genius plan foiled by a green girl. I fought the urge to grin wickedly.

"What do you always read about, anyway?" She asked, and I looked up to see if she was grinning stupidly. I hadn't heard a hint of a smile in her voice, but hearing can be decieving. To my utter shock, she was serious. Wondering why in the world she had gotten this sudden change of heart, I responded.

"Several things. Today I'm reading about the ponderings of several people about good and evil, and whether they exist or not." That left her looking nonplussed.

"Why would they waste their time doing that?" I sighed.

"Because unlike some people I could mention, they don't _waste their time _sorting their hats by shades of pink!" The reply exited my lips, and made her cower a bit, which gave me a sense of guilty satisfaction. I turned my eyes back to my book and continued reading, but my reading was short-lived.

"So . . .how do they. . .um. . .'ponder' it?" Came Celina's small voice. I turned around and took pity on her, lucky for her.

"They think of whether or not good and evil exists, and if they're different. Because good deeds aren't necessarily sincere, are they? And evil deeds aren't necessarily done with a cold heart, right? So good could be evil and evil could be good!" I said eagerly, and she raised her eyebrows before turning around.

"What?" I asked, and while getting up, knocked over a box by Celina's bed. A small, elegant, pink hat fell out of it. In a hurry, I began apologizing.

"Sorry, I didn't see that. . ." I got down and picked it up, and as I was trying to stuff the hat back in the box, Celina felt the need to giggle shrilly.

"Oh, do try it on!" She said eagerly.

"No, I couldn't. I don't wear things like that, I clash with everything anyway-"

"Sure you can! Here, put it on. . ." It took a while of whining and convincing for her to make me jam the thing on my head. As I did, she wheeled me around to face her pink-lined mirror. I looked alright with the thing on my head, but it still wasn't to my taste. She insisted that I looked wonderful, but I took it off and gave it back. I went back to my bed and back to my book, my refuge from the world.

The next day, as I walked into the cafe for a mug of coffee, I saw Celina giggling with her group of friends. I heard them ridiculing me, talking about me. Then I heard Celina recount what she had done with me yesterday. Apparently, it had almost killed her to say so many words with me. I heaved a sigh and ordered the coffee and ambled over to a table, and began sipping it. The group of twits burst out laughing.


	3. Master Qor

**A/N: Huzzah! Yet another chapter. With the omission of school from my life for the next few months, I've had more free time than ever. So the better to write new chapters. This one has a lot of _Son of a Witch _references. Well, places. If you've read it, good for you, you'll have a better idea of what's going on. If not, it's your loss. The better to read it before it's too late. Abasement _is_ a word, it means mortification. If you don't know what _that_ means, then, well . . .then I feel mighty sorry for you. Well, not really. Also, for your larks, I've put in a certain line that comes from the book. Guess it and you get extra ice cream points! **

**Disclaimer: C'est n'est pas a moi, mes amis.**

On the next month, at the end of the day, I was casually strolling through the crowded halls with Celina, who, apparently, had nothing better to do, when we bumped into a short boy--who I guessed to be a Munchkin--who burst into apologies when he saw Celina. He introduced himself as Qor of Nether How. When he noticed me, his eyes widened an a look of shock and slight excitement came upon his face.

"I know you!" He exclaimed, making me wonder where he possibly could have seen me. Of course, there was no mistaking me with someone else. My particular skin colour wasn't one you spotted every day.

"How could you possibly know me?" I inquired, despite my ponderings. Then, without being able to bite it back, "I don't know you." I sighed in exasperation. Of course. A five year old's logic. What was even more vexing was that it made him chuckle.

"Don't you remember? Our elementary school? You flung that boy across the room-" He pressed, and when I scowled at the memories, he stopped. "But that was before. Long time no see, Miss Fae."

"Miss Faba? How _charming!_" Celina interrupted. "Is this a childhood nickname that's been developed?"

"You can't know me." I said to Qor, despite the inevitable truth. "Master Qor of Nether How? I don't recall." I was lying through my teeth, and he knew it well.

"Of course you do! You lived in, what was it called, Apple Press Farm. With your father . . .er . . ."

"Liir." I sighed, wary of this conversation already.

"Yes, him. Your mother, Candle, I think, came to visit occasionally."

"Candle?" Celina put in. "Isn't that a Quadling name?"

"Of course it is, Miss Celina, how could I ever doubt." I said to her before turning to Qor. "Now that you've reminded me of my lovely childhood, I'll remind you of yours. You were made, not born, from a potion of frog's legs, blood, and mud. You came out a disgusting old boar, but were taken to an old hag who spelled you to a human. Now you avoid genuinely beautiful girls at all costs, with only minor exceptions, because if a girl such as that so much as breathes on you, you will shatter into a thousand muddy pieces."

"Miss Fabala, watch your mouth!" Celina exclaimed, and promptly hid herself behind her sapphire glasses.

"Oh, who minds, at least his childhood was more eventful than mine. I grew up in the Vinkus and am accustomed to having sand in my shoes. Miss Celina here grew up in Gillikin, so you'll be far better off talking to her. Lovely dreams, all." And with that, I turned on my heel and stomped off to my dorm without a glance back, though I heard them bursting into conversation despite the din.

Later that night, I heard Celina enter our dorm with a clatter. I pretended to sleep, snoring a bit too loudly to be true. The clatter grew louder, and I heard her yell. I whirled around and saw her standing there, a satisfied smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She was smarter than she appeared to be. Despite my enthusiasm at her finally showing evidence of possessing a functioning brain, I fixed a scowl on my face and grumpily asked,

"Was that entirely necessary?"

"In fact it was, because you being the horrid thing you are, wouldn't respond, or even stir at any other sound." She replied, and smoothed her skirts as she neatly placed her rear on her quilted bed. "Qor told me you had other siblings. Care to share?"

"Why didn't you just press him for answers instead of tricking me into notice you in the middle of the night? It could have saved you a lot of bother."

"Because once he started prattling on about a number of things I can't recall, I couldn't stop him. He was like a wind-up toy." She said irritatedly, and I had to bite the inside of my lip _hard_ so I wouldn't chuckle.

"Fine. I assume if I don't tell you now you'll wheedle it out of me soon enough." I finally agreed, and at my statement, she nodded to confirm my beliefs. So I continued. "I'm not about to tell you everything, because it might not be what you want to know. And I don't want to bore Miss _Celina_, would I? So I insist: ask away any questions that have been bothering you these past few hours." When I finished, it was as if a dam had broken in her mouth. Which made me regret my giving her the almighty permission.

"What's your older sister's and younger brothers' names, and how old are they?" Of course. The obvious question.

"My older sister's name is Lillanie, she's twenty-two. Moonshine is fifteen and Dolner is four."

"Okay. . .are any of them . . .um, er. . ." She mumbled, and I realized she was talking about my verdigris.

"Green? No. Lillanie's the charming, dusty rose colour that Quadlings are. Moonshine is pale as the moon, hence the name, and Dolner is a rather tanned colour without the help of the sun, almost brown."

"Ah." She nodded. "Why doesn't your mother stay at your home?"

"She's busy helping out at the Cloister of Saint Glinda, the mauntery. And the interrogation ends here, because my eyelids are getting heavier and heavier, and if I don't take care, they might fall off. Fresh dreams." I said. I fell back onto my bed, in my nightclothes this time. As my head touched my pillow, I yawned and fell asleep.

The next day I was out picking cherries for my taste when I spotted Qor up in the branches of the tree. I wondered what he was doing up there, especially off Briscoe Hall. His earthy brown hair was moving with the wind, and he was looking towards the girls' dorm windows. He hadn't noticed me.

"What are you doing up _there?_" I asked, startling him for a lark. He shook the whole tree as he fell lower and lower until he was on the ground beside me, twitching as if having a severe seizure.

"Wonderful." I continued, not bothering to pity him. "The trees are generous this year. Were you examining the rosy-cheeked cherries to see if they were spoiled or not?" He huffed and got up, brushing off himself.

"Yes, I was picking out the fresh ones from the spoiled ones." He said reluctantly, playing along with my pitiless game.

"Did you spot a cherry you favoured?" I questioned, pressing on.

"My cherry shall remain my cherry and mine alone, to no one else's knowledge." He replied, scowling.

"If you were to tell me, I could invite her here. Or, if you prefer the yelling of a housemaid to a conversation with your cherry, then a meeting with the lovely, currently cranky cook can be arranged. Both would give me something to do." I stated simply, and he sighed, defeated.

"Fine. Could you invite Miss Celina here sometime?" He asked, and I realized that that was who his cherry was.

"Alright then, but you'll be in my debt." I replied, and wheeled around smirking, and trudged down the pathway.

After four days of pressing Celina to meet Qor by the cherry tree, she finally agreed. So I dragged her there--figuratively, of course--on Saturday afternoon, while her Ama Yutt was out. Qor came promptly, no surprise there. I was sitting on one of the branches in the tree, swinging my bare feet to and fro. Qor prattled on about mushy things. Eventually, I decided if I were to chaperone them, I might as well listen.

". . .so I bravely ask you to-" Qor was saying.

"Brave?" I interrupted. "You're about as brave as Miss Celina's beaver-fur hat over there, cowering beneath her almighty wrath." Celina glared at me from her perch, and I clamped my lips shut, although reluctantly.

"As I was saying," Qor continued, "before we were so rudely interrupted, I bravely ask you to commit to some sort of a relationship with me that won't vex you endlessly."

"But it _will_ vex her endlessly, and you know it." I put in, and it was his turn to send me a glare.

"Master Qor, I cannot commit to a relationship when we come from such distant places. We are far to different." Was Celina's excuse. "I come from the lovely Gillikin, whereas you were raised in the sandy, deserted Vinkus."

"See?" I said to Qor, refraining from childishly sticking my ruby-red tongue out.

"But Miss Celina, differences attract each other. You are the stars and the moon, the sun and the rain, the pfenix taking flight, the ornate butterfly spreading its delicate wings-"

"This sounds rehearsed." Now they both glared at me. Qor continued his ranting.

". . .the colourful autumn leaves swaying in the wind. Miss Celina, if you cannot agree to my request, I will surely die of longing."

"Or of abasement." I said, just as Ama Yutt came into the yard. Of course. Dear Miss Celina had jinxed it when she said she was out.

"What are you all doing here, duckies? And you?" She asked, pointing an accusing finger at Qor.

"I'll be going now." He said hurriedly, and marched back to Briscoe Hall.

"Don't let me catch you being here again, duckies." Ama Yutt warned as I jumped off the tree, miraculously landing on top of my boots, but squashing them in the process, and I put them on, then stomped back to Crage Hall while Ama Yutt was busy lecturing Celina about roaming around with boys.


	4. Powers

**A/N: Confused people: Fabala has an older _half-sister_; Candle had a girl with someone else before Liir. The line was: 'This sounds rehearsed'. I've put another line in here, to keep you busy if you get bored with this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Não o meu, as pessoas. Não o meu.**

**Celina had befriended me **and I returned the favour. On one day, when we were allowed to trek to a nearby city full of shops and the odd fortune-teller pretending to see a vision, she insisted that I come along. Her rich friends, Pamee, Dahlia, and Siana were coming as well. I rolled my eyes.

"Celina, why do you want me to come when you know you darling little friends loathe me?" I inquired curiously, not bothering with formality. We had become friends, so she called me Faba as well.

"Oh, don't mind them. Please come with me, Faba!" She pleaded, and she did look sincere. "All they do all day is prattle on about how terrible you are! It's irritating!" At this I folded my arms and fixed her with a glare. Her mouth widened when she realized what she had said. "Alright, that didn't help. _Please_, Faba! _Please?_" I sighed.

"Fine. As long as you warn them that I'm coming, so one of them doesn't scream with horror when I pop up, seemingly uninvited." I agreed. She grinned from ear to ear and hugged me tightly, giving my ribs a crushed feeling.

"Oh, thank you, Faba! You won't regret this." She said. I highly doubt I won't regret it. Very highly.

"Alright, Celina, could you please let go of me now? If you keep holding on to me I'll be indigo instead of green." I managed to choke out from her grasp. She gasped and let go. Suddenly a look of happier happiness--if that was possible at this rate--came across her face.

"I've got to get ready!" She exclaimed, and pranced over to her wardrobe. We had seperate wardrobes, thankfully. My clothes wouldn't fit if we only had one. She has so many! I wonder how it's possible to care so much about clothes. She opened the door and started looking through the choices. And again, there were many. Finally, she chose one that seemed to her taste: a white top with a skirt that reached to the middle of her thigh, and the hat I had tried on earlier. It looked wonderful on her, of course. I picked out a simple dark blue frock from my wardrobe and put it on. After putting on my old boots, I plopped down on my bed.

"So . . .when shall we begin the trek to that quaint little city?" I asked, and she whirled around, grinning in all her white glory.

"In an hour."

"Well, alright. But you better go warn your little friends. We wouldn't want me to be the cause of a heart attack, would we?"

"Oh, come on, Faba. They don't hate you _that_ much. All they don't like is your ski--never mind."

"I know what you were going to say." I said, folding my arms.

"Lovely. Anyway, I'd better go tell them. I can't just tell them _they_ can't come. It would be extremely rude." She stated, and trudged out the door.

**We set out soon**, with Dahlia and Pamee whispering about me, and Siana listening. Celina was beside me, paying no attention to them. I tried not to, but it was rather hard. I surmise they were trying to make themselves whisper as loud as possible, because that is _not_ how the normal whisper sounds. But I turned my glance away from them, and looked around. A lot of people were here; it seemed like more than half of Shiz had come here. I could see the new boy, who I heard was from the Vinkus, ambling around with Qor and his new friends, Caiden and Dacian. The Vinkus boy was dark-skinned and had a pattern of dots on his body. Or that was what they looked like from that distance. Grey clouds formed in the sky, and I was happy I brought along my umbrella and cloak, to shield me from the elements. A drizzle started, then a harder rain, making drumming noises on the asphalt. I sighed. I'd always wished I could touch the water, feel it, see what it is like. Lilla had always told me how refreshing it was to frolic around in the rain; she said it felt like a shower. Well, I wouldn't know what a shower felt like, never having one before. Liir had bathed me in milk, then when I got older, oil was the substitute. As the rain came down harder and thunder rumbled in the distance, Dahlia demanded that we go somewhere that has a roof. We settled on a cozy looking little shop. I came in and immediately the smell of incense floated by my nostrils. This was a _'fortune teller's' _place. I pinched Celina's arm; she was entranced.

"Ow! What-"

"Celina, this is a fortune teller's place. Are you sure you want to-"

"Great! I've always wanted to have my fortune told!" She said, and apparently, she really meant it. I huffed as she ambled over to her friends to tell them the good news. Celina rang a bell on a counter--this was a shop as well--and an old crone came out of a side door, leering at us.

"What can Yackle help you with, youngens?" She asked Celina, who was shuddering. As the cat--or rather, the Yackle--had gotten her tongue, I stepped up to the desk and told her.

"These," I jabbed my thumb at the girls cowering behind me, "ones want their fortune told. You think you can be of assistance?" She grinned.

"Alright, but you'll have to pay-" I put some money onto the desk as Celina was reaching into her pocket. I turned to her.

"Don't worry, I'll pay." And turned back to Yackle, whose face was serious.

"Alright, but you're goin' first, you got it? Yackle needs to speak to you 'bout somethin' or other." I took a sharp breath and retorted.

"No, no, no, I'm not getting my 'fortune' told. All I need to know I know; in a few minutes the rain will stop and I'll prance back to Shiz and back to schoolbooks. Whoop-dee-doo. See? I don't need your help with my 'fortune'. I'll make my own." I said, folding my arms. It was becoming some sort of a reflex.

"No, child, I'll do you for free, got it. Now come, come." She said, grabbed me by the arm and wheeled me towards the side door. There was Quoxwood incense burning in there, and gold candles were spilling their wax all over the lacquered table. Yackle didn't seem to mind. She steered me towards a chair and motioned for me to sit down. Admitting defeat, I placed my bony rear on a wooden stool beside the table. She sat down in a red velvet armchair. A bowl--no, a ball, a crystal ball--was in the center of the decorated table. Bookshelves lined the walls, and the light was a dim, fluorescent green, making my skin seem normal.

"Now I know who you are. You're Fabala Thropp, am I right?" She said ominously, leaning closer towards me. Her breath smelled of garlic. My skin crawled.

"Yes, how did you-"

"Never mind that, child. Although I may be the only one for miles other than your little friends who knows who you are, you'll be famous soon enough. Now," She leaned closer, and I shuddered, "about your little _powers_." I started. What powers? Was she talking about--wait . . .how could she possibly know? But I wasn't about to admit defeat in this as well. I might have let her steer me into this eerie place, but I won't give up so easily this time. I raised an eyebrow and refolded my arms.

"What _powers_ are you _talking _about? I don't have any _powers_." I said sharply, and she grinned.

"O' course I knew you'd want to hide it. Or maybe you don't remember." She thought for a moment, then said, "this'll jog your memory. Ever had trouble . . .getting _control? _Ever _lost control?" _A look of horror passed over my face. _She knew._ How could she know? Was she spying on me? No. I was being far to paranoid.

"How did you--why do you even _care? _I'm just a random _green_ girl that you met during a storm." More thunder rumbled, as if to confirm that the storm was indeed real. "I don't know you."

"But I know you, child. You dear, are not who you think you are. Don't you ever wonder why your name, Fabala, is the derivative of Elphaba, the name of the 'deceased' Wicked Witch of the West?"

"No. . ."

"Well, I'll tell you why. Because you _are_ Elphaba."

"Prove it."

"Who is Chistery?"

"Elphaba's winged snow monkey, who she sewed the wings on." I replied, before I could stop myself. It dawned on me.

"Wait--how can I _be_ her?"

"'Tis a mystery, girl. But you are. You've come back like a pfenix, reborn. You've been sent back to complete the task that she set out to do."

"This is all smoke and guesswork." I mumbled, but I still knew the truth. "So, what is that task?" I inquired. Things were still a bit foggy to me.

"Defeat the Wizard and free the Animals."

"How am I supposed to do _that?_"

"Don't worry. You'll know yourself. But you can't stay at Shiz anymore. Ever since you killed the old Headmistress of Shiz, Madame Morrible, there's a new one. She's the Wizard's press secretary. She's not to be trusted, you hear that?" I nodded.

"Can I live in the Emerald City?" I inquired.

"No!" She said angrily. "You'll be hunted down and melted before you can say a spell that'll save you!" I sighed. She patted my shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, dearie. You'll find a way." I shuddered from her touch; I wasn't used to people touching me. "Now, off you go, dear. And don't be tellin' anyone 'bout what you found out in here. _Trust no one but yourself._ Now, off you go, and let you charming little friends get their fortunes told." She said, ushering me out hurriedly. When I was out, she waved to Celina, who followed her timidly. After about ten minutes, she exited, and Dahlia went in. It continued on like that. When they were finished, Celina tapped me on the shoulder, but I didn't even notice. I was still rattled from what I had found out about myself. It turned out I was my own grandmother! If that made sense. How weird. But I had more pressing matters on my mind, such as how I should defeat the Wizard, and free the Animals. What had that meant? The Animals hadn't been seen for so long. And how could I defeat the Wizard if I didn't even know if he was the wicked one? First of all, I've got to venture to Emerald City. I'll find a spell that'll hide me from anyone else. I'll get one from someone.

"Faba, come on! The rain's almost stopped, and we've got to get back to Shiz!" Celina spoke into my ear. I started. She was bent down beside me. "You've been sitting like that for about forty minutes! Come!" She finished, and was steering me out the door when Yackle stopped her from the counter. She limped over to me, an enormous tome in her hands. She put it into mine, and I almost dropped it, it was that heavy. I opened it, and saw it was some sort of recipe book. But then I saw the words, and I knew it was a spell book. A magic book. Yackle whispered to me,

"You'll find what you need in there." And limped back to her desk. So Celina continued steering me out the door until I regained my composure and managed to walk myself. I whirled out my umbrella, cradling the enormous book in my arms. As Celina and the others began to tramp off towards Shiz, I silently grabbed Celina from behind, clamping my free hand over her mouth. She twisted in protest until she realized it was me. I dragged her off towards a deserted part of the street, and removed my hand from her mouth, and grabbed her arms instead, in case she decided to run off. She didn't so I released her.

"Listen, Celina. We're going to the Emerald City to see the Wizard. I found something out about myself, and it can't be confirmed until I see the Wizard with my own eyes. Come with me, Celina."

"Where?" She asked, nonplussed.

"To the Emerald City."

"Really? I've always wanted to see the Emerald City!"

"Then come."

"Oh, alright. But we'll have to disguise ourselves somehow."

"I know exactly what to use." I said, and took the big tome out of my pocket. Somehow, it had fit there. I opened it, and squinted my eyes. The letters twisted and turned, and they were more different than any other. But somehow, I could read them. I found one that had a heading which translated to: Invisibility Spell. I lifted my hands over Celina and started chanting. For some reason, she looked perfectly calm. _She trusted me._

"**ABE TAY MANA OTER ATEM COMMOR INTER COMMOR NULLUN NE VETAR TA COMMOR TA TAY TUM DISSIM TA!**" I said, and when I finished, I couldn't see her, but I knew she was there, because she giggled and said,

"This is amazing, Faba!" I grinned and did the spell on myself as well. Immediately, I felt myself disappear. But now I could see Celina! This was a more complicated spell than I thought. I picked up the book and tucked it back in my pocket, then turned to Celina.

"Let's go." I said, and she nodded vigorously. So we set out, towards the Emerald City.


	5. Off to See the Wizard

**A/N: Yes, the line was 'this is all smoke and guesswork'. Brownie points go to elphabathedelirious32 for knowing that and reviewing every single chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I've come up with enough creative disclaimers for now. My Ultimate Disclaimer Creator has gone on a temporary vacation. So now I'll just settle with: not mine.**

**It rose in front** of us, like one enormous, looming emerald. It was simply beautiful. I gasped in surprise. Celina looked around, puzzled.

"So where's the Wizard's palace?" She asked.

"That big _palace._" I said, pointing to the tallest building in the city. It was obvious, but I tried not to sound to annoyed. She didn't hear a hint of annoyance in my voice, apparently, because she happily jumped in the air, and pulled me along with her as she began skipping towards the palace. I ran along with her, the wind rushing by my ears, blowing my hair behind me. And even though I closed my eyes for only a bit, I soon felt myself collide with someone else. The impact knocked the wind out of me, and for a moment I lay on the asphalt, attempting to gather air into my screaming lungs. When I opened my eyes, I saw two people leaning over me. Celina, looking worried, and the Vinkus boy. I quickly scrambled up, startling them. I addressed the Vinkus boy.

"What are you doing here?" Then I remembered the spell. But apparently, it had worn off, because he spoke back to me.

"Qor and his friends wandered off to some place called the Philosophy Club, and I lost them. By the way, I could ask you the same thing."

"We're going to see the Wiza-" Celina started, but I stopped her by bringing my foot down on hers. She yelped in pain, but the boy had guessed where we were going.

"I'd like to come, if you'd let me." He said, but I flared up.

"How could we let you? We don't even know your _name!_" I said, wondering why I was so secretive about visiting the Wizard. He looked mortified, but only slightly.

"I'm Yero." He said. How convenient. I remembered someone named Fiyero from somewhere, but only vaguely. But he was supposed to be dead! Well, I was supposed to be dead, too. Gravely, and rather reluctantly, I introduced myself and my lovely, blushing friend.

"I'm Elphaba, and this is Celina. Fine, you can come, but you have to agree to let me put a spell on you as well as me and Celina. Don't worry, it's harmless." I said, taking the Grimmerie--how'd I know that?--out of my pocket. He looked tense.

"What does it do?"

"It makes you spurt blood out of your gludius maximus." I said, sighing exasperatedly. "It makes you invisible to the human eye, except to other people using the spell. So will you-"

"Alright." He agreed, and I led them both to the space between to buildings, covered with graffiti of sorts. I chanted the spell again, and his eyes widened with wonder. I tucked the Grimmerie back into its rightful place, and beckoned to Celina and Yero to follow me. We trudged towards the palace, taking in every beautiful building. I was amazed at this freedom, with no one staring at me, judging me at first glance. It was wonderful. I wish I was always this free.

**We got there surprisingly **quickly, and as I was determinedly stomping up the emerald stairs, I tripped over something and hit my chin on the stair. Mumbling angrily, I rose and saw what I had tripped over was a broom. Liir's broom, in fact! But how had it gotten here of all places? But I picked it up all the same, and Celina and Yero didn't ask me anything about it. We strode up to the guard, who didn't see us. I realized I couldn't open the door just like that. He'd grab us, and we'd all be dragged off to Southstairs. I wonder how the guard didn't see the broom. Perhaps he was looking elsewhere. So I motioned to the two to follow me around the palace. There must be another entrance! I paced all around it and didn't find anything. I was getting a bit hysteric when I saw a trap door on the side of the castle. It blended in, so I hadn't seen it the first time. I opened it with an almost inaudible creak. Almost being the key word. The guards heard. Spears on the ready, they stomped out onto our side as Yero was climbing in. He shut the trapdoor with a small _thump_ and locked it. It hadn't been locked before, luckily. We quickly got up and ambled down the winding hall, then up the giant staircase. It was eerie, how the whole place was empty. As I was looking around me, I tripped over a chipped part of the staircase, and as I exasperatedly closed my eyes, preparing for the blow of the ball, I felt a couple of strong arms grab me around the waist. I opened my eyes and saw Yero grinning behind me. I sighed, but happily.

"Thanks." I whispered, and continued up the stairs. I was tripping a lot today. How queer. We finally reached the landing where the Wizard was. It was obvious, because there was a humongous set of double doors that were labeled: **THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE OZ**. How astoundingly secretive. We stomped down the hall, and as we pushed the doors open, I felt the spell wearing off. I could see my arm, then Yero's, then Celina's, then more and more of our bodies until we were completely visible. What a terrible time for the spell to wear off. Oh, well. At least we arrived. The Wizard wasn't prepared. He was actually an old man. He was bustling about a couple of Squirrels in a cage. I felt myself flare up. Squirrels? In a _cage?_ He didn't see me, so I decided the best way to announce my arrival was to startle him.

"What is going on here?" I said, raising my voice with every syllable. The words rang through the room, echoing, bouncing off the emerald and the glass. The 'Wizard' jumped and whipped around, his mouth widening in horror.

**_"Elphaba? _**But you're dead . . .you couldn't be here, that annoying little farm girl melted you! When I came back, you weren't here. . .how can you be here?" He prattled on. He was clearly scared.

"I'm everything but dead, as you can see. And now I can see that you are still as wicked as you ever were!" I yelled, all of it coming back to me. The first visit to the Wizard, the Resistance, the mauntery, the Vinkus, the. . .the death. I sank to my knees, pictures of my other life swirling around me, giving me a pounding headache. I grabbed my head just as Yero rushed to my side.

"Fabala, come on, are you alright? Come on. . ." He attempted to pick me up, but I wrenched away. I wasn't that helpless. I turned around to face him.

"It's _Elphaba_ now. Now that I've found out!" I whirled around, back to face the Wizard, who had gathered himself. As I made to stomp towards him, he yelled,

"GUARDS!" The guards--the Gale Force--rushed in, and saw me and my comrades. It was obvious what the Wizard had called them in here for. As they ran towards us across the wide hall--thankfully, it was enormous--as I grabbed the broom and got on it.

"Get on!" I said to Celina and Yero. Celina was horror struck.

"Fab-_Elphaba_, I can't. I'm sorry, but I hope you'll be happy that you're doing this. I hope you'll be really happy." She said sadly, and I realized how much it hurt her not to go. But she couldn't. I was the one who had brought her into this anyway. I looked down at her as Yero got on and grabbed hold of me; he wasn't used to flying on a broom.

"You too. I hope what you pursue brings you bliss. I hope you're happy in the end, my first, and except for a recent change," I looked around at Yero and smiled, "my only friend." As I rose in the air, the Gale Force grabbed Celina. Angrily, I yelled down at them, "NO! She's not the one you want, it's me! Me!" I cackled, and it rang through the room. As I rose higher and I higher, I was pleased to see them let go of Celina and stupidly jump up to try to catch me. "Good-bye Celina! I assure you, we'll meet again!" I yelled, my voice fading as I burst out the window on my broom--yes, my broom!--and the rain stopped. There was a rainbow in the sky, a multicoloured semi-circle encircling the Emerald City. As I rose above the place, I imagined myself as a speck of land, sent flying up by the turbulent air. I hovered like that for a moment, Yero's warm skin against my freezing vertigris, and then wheeled around and zoomed away towards the abandoned corn exchange, the place that was so familiar to me.


	6. Southstairs

**A/N: Back with another chapter! I am dominating this fanfiction, especially considering it's my very first fanfiction ever. Whoopee! **

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**We arrived at the** corn exchange, the little hidey-hole I had for myself before. Yero said he got a weird sense of deja-vu. I cringed, because there was dried blood all over the place, covering the floor in parts like shreds of a black, torn blanket.

"We can stay here. He forgot about this place." I walked about the room, my cloak billowing about me. My hat, my lovely pointed hat was sitting in a corner, waiting for me patiently. I strode over to it and gently placed it on my head. _I, the Wicked Witch of the West, am back. _Yero looked at me skeptically.

"How do you know that?" He inquired.

"Because if he did know it, he'd have told me. He tends to reveal his knowledge to me, so he can brag, in a way." I replied, and Yero looked impressed. I sniffed the air. "Ugh. This places still smells of blood. Couldn't they have cleaned it up?" I wandered around and spotted a rag. I pushed it down on the ground and started pushing it around the floor with my boot. It was a bit moist; someone had been here recently. And I saw from the fact that my mirror--the mirror Turtleheart gave me--was gone. No doubt the Gale Force had investigated this place to see if I had any 'wicked' artefacts that could harm their precious Wizard. Furious, I wandered around, kicking aside the odd stone that had somehow gotten in here. Was I supposed to relive my life again? Why couldn't I have just skipped to age twenty-seven? Then I'd have a better chance of defeating the idiot. But I assume it had been easier for me, somehow. I yawned and sank into the mattress.

"Ungh." I moaned, rolling over to face Yero, who was in the other mattress. I was only nineteen, so I wasn't quite ready for interaction. I wasn't used to anyone touching me for that matter. "You didn't have to come with me." I said, to assure him I didn't force him to come with me and he could back out anytime. But it was nice having company.

"I know. I wanted to." He replied, and I smiled at him, and he returned the smile. I yawned, and fell asleep.

**I woke up in **Southstairs, with Yero snoring by my side. I bolted up and knocked into a few metal bars. The cell thing was smaller than I thought. I shook Yero awake.

"Apparently, that hidey-hole wasn't as safe as I thought." I was frustrated. Were all my attempts going to end in failure? But just because I failed at this, it doesn't mean my other plots will be foiled. Suddenly, I remembered my hat, my broom . . .but they were all there. Even the Grimmerie, tucked safely into my pocket. I crawled around as Yero stared at me, feeling the floor for any loose floor stones. I didn't find anything in the floor, so I started feeling the walls. I finally came upon a place where the wall sounded different when you touched it. Motioning to Yero to help me, I pulled at one side of the stone, Yero the other. We finally got it loose and saw there was a nice compartment there that would fit the Grimmerie, the broom, and the hat. How handy. When I put them in, I pushed the stone back, then checked if I could open it. It turned out it was in fact, easier to open it once it's been opened. Once I was sure it didn't look noticeable that it had been moved, I plopped back on the straw as a guard came up to us. Yero hugged me close, and surprisingly, I was pleased at the touch. The guard poked me with the blunt end of his spear to get my attention.

"The Wizard wants to see you." He said, and after opening the bars, he grabbed me by the elbow and roughly pulled me up. He grasped both my elbows and pulled them behind me. I kicked him, but he just grasped my arms tighter. When I could tell he was cutting off my circulation, he pushed me into another open set of double doors, where the Wizard was sitting in a cushioned armchair, grinning at me ominously. The blow of his push sent me to my knees, and as I struggled to stand up, the Wizard spoke.

"That's right, bow to your master."

"The one who should be bowing is you." I snarled at him, and he strode towards me and slapped me, hard. I could feel it burning, but I still returned his cold, hard glare unflinchingly.

"Elphaba, you could just give up and join me, you know. It would make it easier for the both of us." He smiled eerily, smirking.

"Never. I'll never join you, you lunatic!" I yelled at him, and he whirled me around and slammed me against the wall, pinning me to it. He leaned close to me and hissed,

"Well then, you've just made a _terrible_ mistake." He let me go, and I slid down the stone wall, my head spinning. It was getting dark in my eyes. He rang a bell and five guards rushed in and grabbed me and pulled me up and literally dragged me out of the room.


	7. Escaping

**A/N: Woohoo, another chapter. I know this one is short, don't bug me about it.**

**Disclaimer: C'est n'est pas a moi. Poursuivre en justice les pirates, vous avez été averti. Je possède seulement le terrain et quelques caractères. **

_**I was fainting, I **was soaring out of myself. I began to feel numb._

_No pain could penetrate me. No pain at all. _

_Well, no pain but the water being slowly poured down my skin._

I was screaming, but eventually I started crying furiously, and no sound came out of my mouth. The air in my lungs was being pushed out of me as a guard stood on top of me as the water continued to be poured. I was lying in a puddle of my own blood, shaking uncontrollably. The guards looked freaked out, and finally the Wizard stopped them.

"Enough. Take her back." He said, and they roughly grabbed me and dragged me back to our cell. I imagined myself looking at myself from somewhere else. My black hair was filthy and matted, stained with my own blood. I myself was completely drenched in _my own blood_, my legs and back were bruised from the guards' merciless kicking and my back and arms were bruised from them spontaneously throwing me against the wall. My body was also blistered from the water, and my cheeks were bruised. My left knee was a bit swollen, and my ankles were sprained and twisted.

I was pathetic, was all I could think. As soon as Yero saw me, he bolted up and gently took me from the guard, and laid me down on the straw that served as a substitute for our bed. He looked shocked and worried. The guard closed the bars, and Yero kissed me gently, tenderly. Why did the Wizard have to come back? And now I was being a martyr, but being terrible at it. Where was my defiance? Where did I leave that tired old thing? Yero looked into my eyes, and I could tell he was worried. I wasn't bleeding anymore, but I hurt all over.

"Do you feel alright?" He asked, and as stupid a question as that was, I nodded. I felt empty, as if I had been drained of everything but my soul, because I don't have one. I choose not to have one.

"I'm fine." I mumbled, and fainted right in his arms.

**I woke up in **his arms, too. We had been sleeping like that. It was weird, but my body had healed, and only my ankles ached a little. There was no evidence of blood, except for in my hair. The blisters were gone, and so was most of the pain. I shook Yero awake. It was time to leave. I looked out the bars, at the green clock. It was 4: 11. The torture had to stop. The guards were still sleeping, and so was the Wizard. I carefully took the stone out of the wall and got my things. I jammed the hat on my head and opened the conveniently large window of our cell. I motioned to Yero to get on, and he did, but gingerly. We soared out the window, into the starry night.

"We're going to the Vinkus." I told him, so he knew. "To your fourth castle." He looked perplexed.

"How do you know I have over four castles?"

"I remember you telling me." He sighed.

"The fourth one's uninhabited, but we have to get over the Thousand Year Grasslands to get there."

"No trouble." I said, shrugging. "We're flying, remember? It'll take us a few hours at the most." I leaned on the handle of the broom to make it go faster. Yero held on tighter. I was relieved, but I still knew that I had to do my job before the Wizard had time to retaliate and kill me instead.

I had so much responsibility on my shoulders. At least I had help.


	8. The Resistance

**A/N: Yes, I put a line in the previous chapter without telling you all, to see if you could get it. It was: 'where'd I leave that tired old thing?' Congratulations to elphabathedelirious32 for getting it. You deserve a whole shelf full of trophies for being so awesome. I sort of put a line in here, too. **

**Disclaimer: Were it mine, I'd put a spell on it so it would come alive. But sadly, it's not. Thus, it hasn't come alive. But when I demand that Gregmeister abdicates (and he will), I shall make it come alive. But now, it's not mine. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**

**The palace was a **dusty, old ruin, but it would do for now. I spelled the doors open with the aid of the Grimmerie and walked in with Yero--well, Fiyero, because it was definitely him--behind me. The seventh tower had collapsed, and a couple of staircases were like rock-climbing walls, but it would do for a while. I whirled around and faced Fiyero--I'd told him all of it--startling him slightly.

"We'll reside here for a couple of years, making progress." I said determinedly. There was absolutely no way I was going to let the Wizard get the better of me. "I know a few people who were part of the Resistance. I can contact them; they can help out." He nodded to show he understood. I made my way up the collapsed staircase, grabbing hold of large stones so I wouldn't fall to my death. Eventually I got up there, puffing and panting. It was perfect. I knew this would be my study. But first I had to send a letter to Chistery, to get him and his army of snow monkeys to come here. I'd send a spell, too, so he would be younger. I sent a spell in a vial and put it in an envelope with a letter. Then I left it on my desk. I'd teach a pigeon how to send messages. It was a cozy place. Not comfortable-cozy. Just home-cozy.

**We were soon settled**. I'd sent the letter to Chistery, and I hoped he'd get it. Nanny had most definitely died already, but it was obvious. I wasn't about to mourn over her death; it's not as if she didn't die of a natural cause. Everyone dies someday.

**Fiyero--it was inevitable** that I called him that--and I settled in the same bed, for I was twenty now, and I could handle myself. He gently ran his hands along my bare chest, and I couldn't remember anyone touch me as softly before. We moved together like that, blue diamonds on a green field. We finally fell asleep, close together, breathing in unison. Later at night, I heard a chatter in the distance; a monkey's chatter. I shook Fiyero awake and bolted up, following the sounds. I finally found the monkey, young as ever, at my window, with his army. I let him and the rest of the winged monkeys in and directed him to a chamber.

"Thank you, Elphaba. It is you, am I right?" Chistery inquired, and my jaw momentarily dropped open, but I closed it with a snap. I'd never expected to succeed in teaching Chistery to speak English fluently. I nodded, and he led his mates to the room. Fiyero, who had come in, glanced at me. I was completely naked, except for a scarf tied around my waist.

"Who was that?" He said, hugging me close.

"My secret army of monkeys." I said, kissing him. He tenderly kissed the place where my shoulder became my neck, and we plopped back on the bed with a _wump_.

**The next day I** sent a letter to a few people who were part of the Resistance so many years ago. Surprisingly, they came swiftly. They were in their thirties and forties, but we needed a lot of help. As they pounded on the door, I jumped from the staircase top and ran up to the door and flung it open. There stood Igrisid, Tirale, Yiewette, and Atiereana. They grinned at me, and I smiled back and welcomed them in. Igrisid was a tall, balding man with a grin plastered on his tanned face. Tirale was a twenty-year-old boy whose parents had been in the resistance; his blonde hair was pushed back out of his eyes, and his blue eyes darted about the castle, inspecting it. Yiewette was a red-haired girl with freckles sprinkled on her cheeks. And Atiereana was a brown-haired girl with knobby knees and lightly tanned skin. They sat down on a few chairs and looked at me. I sighed.

"Alright." I said, as Fiyero sat down, too, and looked at me intently. I shuddered. This was like public speaking. "I think we should start small, like annihilating the people helping out the Wizard. Now I heard that the current Headmistress of Shiz, Madame Lupid, is the Press Secretary for the Wizard, ever since the other one was killed. She has an assistant, a tik-tok thing named Protikin, who helps her get all her information. We'll start there, because it won't be hard. He's just a lot of metal." I thought for a moment as they discussed among themselves, and then I spoke again. "We should all have codenames. I'll take Fae, my usual one. Fiyero, you should have Yero." I told him, and he nodded. Then I turned to Igrisid. "What do you want?"

"Sid." He stated, and I nodded to show my approval.

"Tirale?" I questioned, looking at him.

"Rile." He replied, grinning at me.

"Atiereana?" I inquired.

"Ana."

"And last but not least, Yiewette?"

"Yew."

"Alright. That's it for now. I'll contact more previous and future members of the Resistance, because we can't possibly accomplish this without extra help. Now, I assume you've all traveled a great deal, and since it's getting dark, you'll want to rest." I told them, and pointed them to a set of chambers on the east side of the castle. "Those will be your rooms. Feel free to make yourselves at home, because you'll be here for a while." A smile tugged at my lips as they trekked towards their rooms. Perhaps it was all going to work out. Fiyero wandered towards me and kissed me.

"Come on," he said, smiling, "you need to rest, too." I smiled back, and we trudged towards our room, yawning.


	9. More Recruits Required

**A/N: I know the last chapter wasn't super long, but I was tired and my imagination took a hike, and is now snoring in my bed because she's exhausted; the hike was up a steep hill. So since I couldn't wake her, I had to make a not-so-good chapter. But I tried! Give me credit for _that. _Trophy to Eleka Nahmen and Greenpelt for reviewing. And yes, I did notice the Emerald City thing. It was intentional. And Eleka Nahmen, I'll keep your suggestion in mind and yell my imagination awake. **

**I'd like to add that going to be at 12:00 p.m. and waking up at 8;00 a.m. four days in a row is _not _a good idea. I felt so tired that getting up from the couch was an exercise. Be happy I wrote this.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. **

**A few other members** of the Resistance had come, too, in the next week. Jire, who was excited to come, even though he wasn't completely sure what we were doing, though he got the gist. Seana, who was a blonde woman in her thirties with a cranky attitude, had come, but complained about our settlement until I told her that if she didn't like it, she was welcome to leave, as she hadn't officially joined yet. Once you get a codename, you can't leave. That was the main rule. Wijire and Rorte came, as well. They were blue-eyed and brown-haired twins, and they were about twenty-eight. They had completely opposite personalities, and often fought. Wijire was usually the first to start arguments, but he could cope with being in the Resistance. His parents were in it, and he had always wanted to be in it. Rorte came with him, of course. There was also Khila, an eighteen-year-old girl with mousy brown hair and green eyes; Tyian, a pugnacious red-headed boy with a soft spot for cats; Mottie, a forty-year-old blondie; and Brike, a chestnut-haired, brown-eyed thirty-two-year-old man who was always offering opinions. So we had Sid, Rile, Ana, and Yew. Now we needed more codenames, and more codenames we were going to get. We sat down at a meeting in the chamber we always did it in. It had high ceilings and no windows, so no spying would be possible. There were countless chairs and one enormous, round table that I could stand on or behind, depending on how much attention I wanted, and how important the meeting was. Chistery took notes at our meetings, writing down the codenames. Apparently, he'd taught himself to write. Impressive.

**At the meeting, we **got more chairs from the corner closet, where we kept the ones we didn't need. The table was big enough to have at least forty chairs around it, so that wasn't a problem. I stood behind the table--or in front of, whichever--and spoke.

"We'll start with codenames." I said, nodding towards the group of newcomers. Mottie volunteered to go first.

"I'll have Mo." She said. "That's very putting-off, because it sounds like a man's name." I nodded to show my approval. It was something I got used to doing.

"Jire?" I asked.

"Ire." He replied, looking at me intently. That was something I got used to seeing.

"Seana?"

"Sen."

"Rorte?"

"Torr."

"Wijire?"

"Rew."

"Khila?"

"Ki."

"Tyian?"

"Tye."

"Brike?"

"Irk."

"Alright." I said, to conclude. Then I went over the rules again. "Now that you have a codename, you can't leave for reasons that are obvious. Does anyone protest to this?" Everyone shook their heads. "Good. Sid and Yew will show you to your chambers." I said, and instantly, Yew and Sid got up and beckoned the newcomers to follow them. I motioned to Chistery to give me the list. He obliged, and I scanned it, murmuring the codenames. "Fae, Yero, Sid, Rile, Ana, Yew, Mo, Ire, Sen, Torr, Rew, Ki, Tye, Irk. . .fourteen people, including me. . . Well, that's not nearly enough, we'll need more!" I said worriedly. Fiyero wandered towards me and gave me a hug. I flinched, startled, and whirled around to face him. He grinned.

"Don't worry, Fae, we'll get more." He said, and I smiled back.

"I know. I need to go work on something." I replied, and walked out of the room, towards my main chamber. After clambering up the broken steps, I opened the trapdoor and climbed up to my room. I had been working on a serum that would stop the clocks in Protikin for good. All that would have to be done was for it to be inserted into the top of his head, where the main clockworks, the ones that gave him life--but not Life--were. If those were destroyed, he would be destroyed. I ambled over to the cauldron--wow, I really am a witch--that contained the required ingredients. Quoxwood tree bark, water--I didn't touch this, of course--and a few other things I had forgotten about. It was almost finish. It would take a week to cook and a day for it to settle to its maximum power. I opened the Grimmerie. I wonder if the Wizard really was its owner. I don't believe in other worlds, because otherwise, with the Grimmerie, I would have been able to contact them with incredible ease. Maybe I just hadn't come across a spell like that. Or maybe it was one of the ones that I was working on beginning to read. I could decipher everything in the Grimmerie. The letters moved far too much, and the language was different. Much different. It wasn't even Qua'ati. If it had been, I'd have learned to read it. But this was a language of magic, and I guessed that that took much more than a year to learn.

I flipped through the dusty pages and finally found the spell I needed: the preservation spell. I thought I'd put it on the serum so it would rot or something. Can't have rotten serum. And it wouldn't let anything touch it for seven days. Well, if I set it to seven days. I think it's very convenient to have flexible spells.

"**CREO HAEC DURO NAM SVEN DYS!**" I chanted, and a yellow glow envelopped the vial. I set it down gently on the table and shut the Grimmerie with an almost inaudible snap. I yawned. I looked out the window and saw it was getting dark, and I was very tired. For once I wish I didn't have to sleep, so I could put more work into my spells. But there was nothing to do but plop on the bed and sleep. So I did so, reminding myself to recruit more people for the Resistance.


	10. Failure or Success?

**A/N: I know, I am a very bad person for updating so late, and for the chapter being so short and not so detailed. But just...uggh. I was on vacation, completely forgot, and am dreading the end of the summer. Happy now? You better be.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, dammit.**

**We spent a year **like that, with me chanting up a storm and Fiyero tediously pacing up and down the winding halls, his hands in his pockets. I was locked up in my room a great deal, so I made a great deal of progress. And now we were ready. It was the day before Lurlinemas Eve, which was when we would do it, as that was when all those famous celebrities, or whatever they called them, arrived in the Emerald City to amaze people with their almighty might, whoever they stole that from. It was the best time to do it, because the Emerald City would be crowded, and it would be easy not to get spotted, even with my vertigris. It's actually easier to blend in, I've found. Oh, how glad I am that I wasn't born a horrid, pink and white piglet. That would be a terrible nightmare, despite my doubts.

I trudged down the broken staircase--I'd managed to get used to that wretched thing--and tripped over the boulder near the bottom. That always gets me. I tumbled down and managed to fall with a _thump _at Fiyero's feet. Although, the way I landed, it should have been a _splat_. He helped me up and gave me a kiss.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Fine." I managed to choke out. The wind had been knocked out of me, and I was having a teensy bit of trouble jamming it back into my lungs.

"You seem stressed, Fae."

"You think?" I snapped, before I could bite it back. I softened. "Oh, it's just this stupid operation, and . . ."

"Get some sleep, Fae. Are you sure you want to..."

"Of course I do! It's nothing, it's nothing, Yero, it's nothing."

"Alright, then . . ." He said, and I gave him a peck on the cheek and trudged back upstairs, having forgotten why I came down there in the first place, with all the commotion and all. I gathered the weapons, or whatever, required for the operation tomorrow, and put them on my pillow. I would be getting no sleep tonight, I could tell. I didn't want to be around anyone, not even Yero. What was wrong with me?

--

**I sat through the night.** My prediction was correct, obvious though it was. The feeling of isolation still lingered, and although I tried to banish it by feeling happy that today we'd make some progress, it wouldn't go. I sighed and grabbed the weapon, holding it close to me as I very carefully tiptoed down the fallen staircase--I couldn't drop the weapon; it would mean a year's work would be futile, foiled. I managed to scramble around the boulder and trudged towards Fiyero's room to wake him up. But he was already dressed and as I turned the knob, he opened it and I fell in. Clambering to my feet, I rolled my eyes.

"What _is _it with me and falling today?" I asked rhetorically. He chuckled and gave me a kiss. He trudged past me, and I followed. I was worried; what if things didn't go according to the almighty plan today? When I confided in Fiyero, he gave me a look.

"Everything will go alright, Fae, don't worry so much!" He said, and I sighed.

"Fine." I said, wondering how I could possibly not be worried.

--

**We arrived there, but **only four of us. It was a very long trip. Fiyero came, of course, and just in time for Madame Lupid to arrive. The Wizard wouldn't: he saved that for tomorrow. We trudged closer to the crowd, keeping our steps silent. She pulled up in a long, green limousine decorated with emeralds. It made me want to retch; it reminded me so much of the horrible city. I stood behind the corner, with Fiyero by the other one. Rew and Mo stood somewhere else, by the other buildings. We all wore hooded cloaks, a bit eerie if you thought about it, but unnoticeable. Madame Lupid stepped out of the limo, and Protikin followed. I signaled to Fiyero and the others, and they nodded simultaneously. This was the time. It was now or never. Aiming perfectly, I fired a shot at Protikin's head, neck, and right between the eyes; the soft spots. The bullet things--whatever--were very small. I saw Fiyero and Rew fire a few more. But Mo was having trouble with hers. Finally she got the bullet things--again, whatever--out, and they hit Madame Lupid instead. Horrified, my mouth opened and closed for a few minutes. That formula! I didn't know if it would work on Lupid, and as she let out a guttural scream, Protikin sank down, crackled a bit, and went out.

The hysterical crowd was trying to find out what was going on, and I signaled to the others to take advantage of this. We headed back from where we came from at what we thought was not a suspicious walking pace. As I opened the door to the place where we had hidden for a few hours, an old wig store, I bumped into something hard. Looking up, I gasped in horror. _The Gale Force was there. _The Gale Force was there! THE GALE FORCE WAS THERE! No, no matter how many times I thought it, it still sounded horrible. And right behind them was Ire, or Jire, because he will no longer be part of our Resistance. The traitor! The Guard in front of me grinned.

"We received a little tip-off this morning." He said, and grabbed me. I kicked him in the tender place, and he yelped in pain. Thank goodness for metal-toed boots. I don't know how I would have done that with Lill's dainty shoes. I was never a dainty kind of person.

"Fae!" I heard Fiyero yell, and snapped out of my reverie. One of those lumbering giants--or Gale Forcers. What_ever!--_was dashing at me, and I dodged him just in time. He banged into a wall. I tried to go at Jire, but a Gale Forcer blocked my way and grabbed me. I whirled around, but found kicking him, or hurting him, impossible from this angle. I wish I was super-strong. But that would make my life too easy, wouldn't it? I saw Fiyero, Mottie--no point using the nicknames--and Rew were caught too. Must all my successes things--I am too annoyed to think right now--end with failures?

They took us all to the Palace, the horrible, unworthy palace that I loathe. I hate quislings almost as much as I hate the Wizard, and everything that has to do with him. But I am _not _ready to back down, because right now, I'm mad as hell. I kicked, yelled, and insulted more than the rest of my companions put together,--which wasn't saying too much, since it didn't even look like they tried--but to no avail. None of the guards dared relinquish their hold on us, especially me, probably in case we took a break for it. Which we would do. So they weren't as dumb as they seemed.

Down a passageway which I assumed led to Southstairs, each of us into seperate cells, bars between us all. What horrified me the most was that they took Fiyero first, the Gale Forcer looking at me as he did so. I could stand it if they hurt me, but not Fiyero or the others. This was all my fault, all my fault. Even though he assured me he'd be fine, I was worried. But he came back looking alright except for a few cuts and scrapes, and we kissed through the bars. We're reduced to kissing through the bars. What the _hell _was I thinking? Nothing, actually.

Again, must all my successes end in failures? They better not, or I just might do something extremely stupid yet again.


End file.
